Eclectic Fare at the Art Museum

7/7/19 - When traveling with anyone, it is highly advisable to take a few hours for one's self - that's how I found myself wandering downtown Auckland in search of drip coffee.  For those that aren't familiar with the coffee situation in NZ (and for that matter Oz), drip coffee is rare.  Flat whites (basically an espresso with steamed milk) are ubiquitous, but just an average drip coffee filled with enough caffeine to jump start your day is impossible to find.  I broke down and headed to Starbucks to get a thoroughly disappointing drip coffee.  (We have it on good authority from a server we met from Texas that the Dunkin' Donuts has good drip coffee but never managed to get there).

After  reminding myself what a whiny American bitch I'm being about the whole coffee dilemma, I went to church, AKA, the Auckland Art Museum.  A small but mighty museum to be sure!  This museum certainly didn't boast a large amount of high priced traditional European "masterpieces", opting instead for more local artists, but the eclectic collection was interesting and thought provoking.

One exhibition of note was the Gorilla Girl's exhibition.  Although I've seen posters and stickers from the Gorilla Girls out and about in SF and New York, it certainly was cool to see a collection of their work from their start.  This small group of mostly women taking on the patriarchy of the art establishment is a cause near and dear to my heart.  This group has highly criticized the art world's almost exclusive focus on straight white European art and artists.

One of the original Gorilla Girls posters.  

Kudos to the Auckland Art Museum for reflecting on its own practices.  

This poster reflects a characteristic we found in many Kiwis...a willingness to be self critical and a willingness to work toward change.  It seems to be the attitude that allows for a prime minister and government to change gun laws within a month of a deadly shooting.  What an attractive quality in a people and a nation! 

One display was of a modern interpretation of Maori traditional costumes.  This was a fun. high energy, multi media display...these outfits could give our SF drag queens a run for their money.  

One artist has presented him/herself as male and female in successive panels, clearly calling into question gender stereotypes and norms in the Maori and NZ culture.  

Three generations of Maori women sporting colonial slave ships.  

Finally some additional pieces of note from the museum.  

St. Sebastian...who doesn't love a martyr?

A child's funeral...creepy?  

Auckland has a large collection of Maori tribal leaders, all from this same artist.  

This collection of found photos all have the shadow of the photographer in the photo.  Looking at just one photo seemed somewhat whimsical, but as a collection one imagines the shadow figure as just one ominous and nefarious man intending to harm the subject of the photo.  I imagined this as the start of a psychological thriller or even a slasher movie and even the joyful expressions of the people in the photos seemed almost like a harbinger of a future tragedy.  

Well gentle readers, thanks for indulging me on this trip through Auckland Art Museum.  When filed with existential doubt, wandering the halls fo a gallery comforts me, grounds me, and helps to successfully elevate my soul and quiet my doubt.  Spending an afternoon alone wandering these pieces provided me with a much needed escape from my petty coffee dilemmas!